There's an odd fad going on in Japan: that a person's blood type determines his personality.

But it's not all fun and game. The craze has gone so far that there's a new form of discrimination called "bura-hara," where someone may not be offered a job because of his blood type.

In Japan, "What's your type?" is much more than small talk; it can be a paramount question in everything from matchmaking to getting a job.

By type, the Japanese mean blood type, and no amount of scientific debunking can kill a widely held notion that blood tells all. [...]

Taku Kabeya, chief editor at Bungeisha, thinks the appeal comes from having one's self-image confirmed; readers discover the definition of their blood type and "It's like 'Yes, that's me!'"

As defined by the books, type As are sensitive perfectionists but overanxious; Type Bs are cheerful but eccentric and selfish; Os are curious, generous but stubborn; and ABs are arty but mysterious and unpredictable.

Koreans also believe in 'blood horoscopes'. Every single address book I've bought in a Korean stationary shop has blood type listed. I thought it was kind of weird so I asked my family. They didn't talk about personality traits, just medical ones. My brother has stomach pains and intestinal problems and they attribute that to his AB blood type.